“Although most of the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2017-18 season was planned before Stilian Kirov became music director, he has already contributed in several ways, including input on each concert’s opening piece,” writes Jessi Virtusio in Thursday’s (11/10) Daily Southtown (Chicago suburbs). “ ‘When Art Imitates Life’ on Nov. 18 at Trinity Christian College’s Ozinga Chapel in Palos Heights opens with Bulgarian composer Pancho Vladigerov’s Improvisation and Toccata. The concert with Bulgarian native Kirov as conductor honors Bulgaria’s upcoming European presidency from January-June.… It was Henry Fogel, former president and chief executive officer of the League of American Orchestras and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, who advised the search committee that ultimately chose Kirov. Fogel, dean of the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, also got the ball rolling on his colleague David Schrader being guest organist for Aaron Copland’s Symphony for Organ and Orchestra. ‘It’s a very exciting thing. You don’t get to hear the piece often. There’s lots of clever rhythm things especially the second movement,’ said Schrader, a professor of keyboard and music history at Roosevelt University in Chicago.… The final piece for ‘When Art Imitates Life’ is Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5.”
Posted November 13, 2017
